Waiting
by Sketcher1994
Summary: She pushed her stand in front of her, her drip bag swinging. She'd been home two and a half years. She had to hope that someone died to save her from this, but she wasn't that type of person. She'd never wish anyone dead. She didn't care if they didn't have what she needed. She was all he had. All she needed was to know that he was going to pull through. That was all she wanted.


**AN: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima!**

**Hey! ^_^ Hope you like this Sunday One-Shot! ^_^ (Ok, PLEASE read the note at the bottom - and I know this isn't Sunday!)**

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She pushed her stand in front of her, her drip bag swinging as she moved. She was almost to the kitchen, just like every other day since the accident three years ago. She was home, but she had been for almost two and a half years – they had needed the bed, and they didn't have what she needed. She was 'on the list', the never ending list. She had to hope that someone died to save her from this, but she wasn't that type of person. She would never wish anyone dead.

She re-hooked her phone, hanging from the wall where she'd knocked it down yesterday as she'd fallen. Her friends must have found her again and taken her back to bed. Part of her was glad they'd done it, but she needed to always be by the phone. She was waiting for a phone call. She couldn't leave the phone off the hook. She'd asked for someone to get her a phone for her room, but they just kept telling her not to worry, and that she should rest, that he'd be fine.

She was all he had. She had to be there for him – that's why she hadn't wanted to leave the hospital. She didn't care if they didn't have what she needed. All she needed was to know that he was going to pull through. That was all she wanted. She just wanted him to wake up. He'd been asleep for three years and it was all her fault. She was the one that was walking around her home, slowly dying as the doctors failed to get her what she needed, but he was the one that the world was passing by.

She moved over to the breakfast bar, picking up the two slices of bread that her friends had left out for her, and put them in the toaster. They'd left the jam lid ajar for her as well, as always. She stared at the phone, praying for it to ring, as she waited for her toast to pop. He was all that occupied her mind. It was her fault that they'd crashed. She was the reason he now slept forever. She couldn't even visit him in her state. He was just lying there, all alone.

Who was she kidding? Their friends would be there. They were going to let her know when he woke up. They were going to phone her. They were going to phone her for him, to let him speak to her – if he'll speak to her. Will he even remember what happened after this long? Will he be angry with her for not visiting, for not being there when he woke up? Will he hate her for everything that's happened? She'd almost gotten them both killed, but they were both still fighting on. The nurse told her it was a miracle that she was still fighting after this long, but she couldn't leave him.

The toast popped, and Levy quickly pulled it out, wincing as her fingers met with the hot toast. She spread the jam onto the toast, thinking about the morning of the accident. She'd stood there, spreading the jam onto his toast, humming away to the radio that was playing in the bathroom, her boyfriend singing along to it as he showered. She'd smiled as he'd come out of the bathroom, glad that she'd gotten up early on her day off. She'd talked him into staying over, even though he was supposed to be working the next day, and by the look of the smirk plastered across his smug face as she smiled at him, he didn't regret him staying over either.

Why had she made him stay? It was a work night. He never stayed on a work night in case he slept in. Tears dripped onto her toast as she dropped the knife back onto the counter. She lifted her toast and took a seat at the table, nibbling at the corner of her toast as she did so. It was always so dry, no matter how much jam she put on, it would always be dry. She stared at the phone, continuing to pray as she remembered the now silent ring. She couldn't remember the last time she'd heard it ring. She only remembered it ringing that morning.

It had rung as he'd sung loudly that he'd loved her along with the music, swinging her in his arms, kissing her as the song had finished. She'd cursed its ringing back then. Her boyfriend had ended their kiss asking if she was going to answer it. She'd kissed him again quickly before breaking away to answer it, her boss on the other end of the line. She'd had to go into work after all. She'd smiled at her boyfriend as she'd hung up, filling him in, before grabbing her own toast and falling into one of the seats around the table, the very seat she was sitting in at this very moment.

She smiled at the empty seat next to her, imagining her boyfriend still sitting there, toast in his mouth as he ruffled her hair, laughing his little laugh, as he offered her a lift to work. She'd taken the offer, taking to opportunity to sit on his lap facing him, kissing him, as her thank you as he sat there in his towel, her in the underwear she'd fallen asleep in. They'd been so stupidly happy, and now she regretted it. He wouldn't be stuck in a hospital bed, wired up to machines, if it wasn't for her.

She sighed and let her head fall to the table along with her tears. She didn't care if anyone found her like that. She was staying alive for when he woke up, not to make her friends feel better. Her friends were having to watch her slowly die, and there was nothing they could do. She could only feel guilty at what she was putting them through, but the only thing she could do for them was to die. After three years, that was all she could do, she couldn't stay strong anymore, but they'd just cry even more if she ended everything now. If she died now though, they could move on, but if he woke up and found out what she'd done, he'd be furious with her. She had to fight on for both of them.

Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep.

She lifted her head off of the table and stared at the phone. She stood up slowly, trying to decide if it really was ringing. She cautiously shuffled up to the phone, pushing her stand, for once ignoring the swinging bag as it gloated to her about the situation she'd put everyone in. She picked it up, hoping to hear his voice. He had to wake up. She had to hear his voice. She had to see him again. They had to make it through this. If he died, then she would join him. She'd had to live three years waiting to hear his voice again. She wasn't going to wait until she was old and grey to see him again in the next world.

"Miss McGarden?"

"Yes..." It wasn't him. Tears started to glide slowly down her cheeks again.

"We're sending an ambulance to pick you up – your transplant is ready."

"Ok."

Levy stared up at the ceiling, waiting for the nurses to wheel her through into surgery. She smiled as she thought about seeing her boyfriend again. If the transplant went well, then she could go visit him herself. She wouldn't need her friends to call her when he woke up, she'd be able to be there herself. She could fall asleep by his bed like any other girlfriend would as their boyfriend slept, trapped in a coma. She'd sit by his side and never leave him. She'd be there when he woke up. She sighed, smiling up at the ceiling.

"I love you, Gajeel," she whispered quietly in the silent room, "don't worry, I'll be by your side soon."

Levy felt something lying on top of her hand as she went to move it to wipe away the happy tear rolling down her cheek. She glanced down at her hand, part of her expecting one of her friends to have slipped into the room without her noticing. She stared at her lonely hand, realising how unlikely it was that someone would have slipped in.

She quietly laughed at herself for the idea that there had been anything lying on top of her hand. It was the tubes taped to the back of her hand weighing it down. She glanced at the empty chair by the bed, imagining Gajeel sitting laughing at her mistake, imagining him leaning forward to kiss her. She felt something brush her lips and laughed again, realising she'd spent too much time in her head, wishing that he'd be there.

"Levy?" Levy turned to look at the door and smiled at her closest friend, "there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Levy's smile faltered as a tear rolled down Lucy's cheek.

"It's Gajeel...he died this morning...Levy, I'm so sorry!" Lucy cried, running up to the bed and wrapping her arms around Levy.

Levy sat there in Lucy's arms, completely emotionless. She looked down at Lucy's heaving back, her mind blank. She looked at the tubes in the back of her hand. She'd spent three years waiting for him to come back. She'd caused the accident, and now he was gone forever. Tears slowly started to roll down her cheeks as the truth hit her. Gajeel was dead. Her boyfriend was dead. He was sitting on the chair, her on his lap as he laughed at her. She'd just tried to tease him and had ended up knocking the toast out of his hand, the toast landing jam-side-down against her stomach. A smile cracked at the edges of her mouth as she sat in Lucy's arms, the tears growing.

She started to laugh. Lucy pulled away from her to look at her. She was sitting, tears streaming down her face as she laughed, the laugh slowing getting louder, scaring Lucy. Gajeel laughed at her as she lifted the toast off of her and shoved it unceremoniously into his mouth to stop him laughing. He'd pulled it back out and tipped her back, licking the jam off of her stomach. She'd pushed his head back in a huff, telling him that she needed to go wash it off to get ready for work. She'd grabbed her clothes from her room and went for a shower, ignoring him as he'd warned her they didn't have time for her to shower.

She started to shake as Lucy stared at her, suddenly starting to shout for a nurse as she realised Levy was going into shock. She'd come out of the bathroom, ignoring Gajeel shouting to her that they were both going to be late and that this was why he never stayed over on a work night. He kept shouting that he was always late when he stayed at hers on a work night. She'd ending up shouting back at him that she hadn't meant to drop his toast on herself. He'd grabbed her as she'd tried to walk passed him to get to the car. He'd kissed her. He'd just been shouting at her and he'd kissed her anyway. He wasn't going to end the argument that easily. She'd pushed him away, watching as a hurt look passed across his face.

Levy continued to laugh as the nurses pinned her down, trying to give her a sedative. She marched out to his car and waited for him to unlock the doors. She'd just sat down in his car, sulking, as he'd gotten in, just as silent. They'd been halfway there when he'd finally spoken. His voice had sounded so tense. He was upset with her, and she hated it, but she wasn't going to give in – he shouldn't have laughed at her. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She'd never mean to hurt him. Levy started to drift off as the sedative took hold of her body, Lucy sobbing uncontrollably as she watched Levy from where she stood, regretting telling Levy alone.

"Shrimp, you knew we didn't have time." Levy glanced at him out the corner of her eye, Gajeel still looking straight ahead at the road.

"I would have if you hadn't kept shouting at me while I was in the shower – I had to keep stepping out to hear what you were saying!" He was right, and she was lying to save some of her dignity. He'd laughed at her failed attempt to tease him, and he'd certainly been shouting loud enough when he'd realised she was going for an actual shower.

"We both know that's a lie – don't lie to me Shrimp, we're better than this! We don't argue over stupid things, and we don't lie to each other! We promised we wouldn't end up like every other 'unlikely' couple out there!" Levy winced as he lectured her, turning to face her as the bitterness rang through his voice.

"Well maybe there's a reason everyone thinks we're so 'unlikely'!?" Now what was she saying? She hadn't meant that! She turned to glare back at him, immediately doubting herself but not backing down.

"Really? You'll have to explain your idea, 'cause I'm pretty sure I know everyone else's! The bastards just can't keep their noses out of our damn business, and love to make sure that I know what's going through their damn heads! Even the ones that tried to get us together keep saying that they can't believe that we actually work! After this long Shrimp, don't you dare prove them right just because of some stupid fucking jam!" He glared back at her, his red eyes burning through her.

"Why not?! All you do is laugh at me! You keep treating me like a kid! Well guess what!? I'm not, Gajeel! I'm not some kid, and I shouldn't have to spend hours trying to persuade my boyfriend to stay over at mine! No-one should take as much persuading as you do! What's wrong with me?!" Levy shouted, not looking away from his glare.

"Nothing! Shrimp, you know why I don't stay over! You've seen where you live, right? I don't exactly 'fit in', do I?! Your neighbour phoned the damn police the first couple of times I stayed over! And we weren't even having sex!" He yelled back at her.

"Sex?! Where the hell did sex come into this? Is that all you think about?!" Levy exclaimed, pushing him.

"You scream like a damn banshee when we do actually have fucking sex! That was fun, wasn't it?! The fucking police breaking down your front door because your fucking neighbour thought I was fucking killing you!" Gajeel yelled, clearly resisting the urge to push her back, "face it Shrimp, I can't stay over at yours!"

"Well, Gajeel, if that's how you really felt, why didn't you just say that?!" Levy exclaimed, falling back into her seat.

"Because I knew this is how you'd react." His words sounded cold, his features turning deadly serious, turning back to face the road in front of them.

"Really? You knew this is how I'd react? So you think I'd just blow up in your face at something so stupid? If you'd just said, then I could have just come to yours! You have no problem with that, right?!" She turned back to him, her eyes as cold as his words.

"You know it's not safe, Shrimp." He turned to stare back into her eyes, something flickering in his. Sadness? That didn't quite seem right, what was it? Doubt? Was it doubt?

"Do you actually love me, or was it just to get everyone off your back?!" She yelled bitterly, her anger at the simple idea of even a hint of doubt bubbling over, her mind screaming at her to stop as she shouted in his face.

Lips met with hers as her inner turmoil held her, motionless, in her seat. Neither of them had seen the red light. They didn't see the truck coming towards them as they drove passed the give-way. They didn't hear the horn as the driver shouted at them in horror. Levy barely even registered Gajeel's lips on hers as they tried to reassure her of the feelings of their owner. She couldn't believe what she'd just asked him. How had they ended up there? It had been one mistake, one stupid piece of toast, just a little bit of jam. If she hadn't been so embarrassed, she wouldn't have started such a stupid argument and she wouldn't have asked him such a stupid, heartless question.

Levy stood next to Lucy, wondering why she was crying so hard. She couldn't even remember what she was doing there. She placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, trying to comfort her friend. She heard one of the nurses urgently asking her to leave to the room. Levy nodded at her, walking Lucy out. She smiled as she saw Natsu walking along the corridor towards them, a sad look on his face quickly changing to horror as his eyes registered her friend's tears. He ran up to her, wrapping his arms around her, muttering something quietly to her. Levy turned to look back at the room, smiling at the studded giant that stood in the doorway looking back at her.

He smiled sadly back at her, walking towards her and lifting her chin, bending over to kiss her.

"You don't have to do this, Shrimp. You can pull through. You don't have to come with me – you can stay here with everyone else." Levy looked back at him in confusion, not understanding what he meant.

She glanced back at Lucy and Natsu, Lucy's sobbing heavier now than before. Levy could hear the doctor shouting to the nurses in the room. She looked back up into Gajeel's sad eyes, stepping back from him. She watched as the serious expression he'd had as he'd spoken cracked into a small sad smile as she took another step away from him. She watched him warily as she walked around him to look into the room. She watched the doctor shocking the body of a child, trying to bring it back to life.

"Chose life, Shrimp."

She stared at the body of the girl, her eyes falling on the messy blue hair. Her eyes trailed down the girl's skeletal arm, noticing the tubes in the back of her hand. She looked around at Gajeel, her hand moving to her head, an echo of someone's sobbing inside her head. She looked into Gajeel's eyes, silently pleading to him to stop the sobbing sounds as they grew, the pain increasing. She felt a jolt to her chest and spun around to look at the girl again. The sobbing was Lucy's. She watched as the doctor sent another jolt of electricity through the girl's body, the jolt of pain shooting through Levy's chest simultaneously.

She was the girl. She was the blue haired girl on the bed. She looked so small and lifeless. What was she doing here? What had happened? Was that what she looked like? When had she last looked in the mirror? Three years ago. The accident. Gajeel. Gajeel was standing next to her. He'd died. She'd spent three years fighting to stay alive, just to see him again. And he'd died. He'd died on the day she'd have finally been able to see him again. She hadn't even made it into surgery, and here they were. She looked at Lucy and Natsu, wondering how they must have felt watching her slowing wasting away as she slipped between their fingers for the last three years.

She had a choice.

She walked up to Gajeel and wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering sorry to him as she did. He kissed her, muttering quietly that she'd made the right choice, and that he understood. They were her friends. She turned and smiled at Lucy and Natsu, tears rolling down her cheeks. She walked up to them and hugged them both, unaware of them feeling a strange sense of comfort in her 'non-existent' arms, them unaware that she was holding them. She let go just in time to see Jet and Droy walking towards them, their smiles falling from their lips as they approached with their bouquets of flowers.

Levy smiled sadly at them, not even noticing Gajeel's sad expression as he watched her walk up to them. Levy stood on her tippy toes to kiss each of them on the cheek as they stood still, waiting anxiously to find out why Lucy was crying. She turned to look back at Gajeel, tears still falling down her cheeks just as they had for the last three years. He was really standing in front of her. She was able to see him again. She ran up to him and hugged him again, pressing her lips against his, Gajeel returning the kiss, neither wanting to let go.

"Goodbye Shrimp." Gajeel whispered as he started to pull back.

"What are you talking about, Gajeel?"

"It's Levy...Le-Levy...she's...I told her a-about Gajeel...an-and she went in-into shock...she started la-laughing and the nurses...they gave her something...an-and she..." Natsu wrapped his arms around Lucy as the voices inside the room went silent.

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**Hey...hope you enjoyed that? I don't know what possessed me to write it, but here's the first One-Shot of the year, since you got Ch2 of 'My Unison Raid' on Tuesday instead of this...definitely a more cheerful way to start the year...anyway! Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think! ^_^**

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One Piece Tuesday: 'The Twisting String that is Fate' Ch2 (Zorobin)

Fairy Tail Friday: 'Conceit and Crudity' Ch2 (GaLe/Gajevy with both Lucy and Juvia, and a lil' bit of Wendy!)

Sunday One-Shot: 'Ma Forte Peu Mellorine' (My first Sanami)

_(Having problems charging my laptop but I will get these up as close to 'on time' as I can, and I'll be rushing back from uni)_

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**_So, I wrote up the bit above and clicked 'Save' on Sunday ~11.30am, ready to post at 12. That was the moment my laptop died and refused to charge. I didn't even know if this had successfully saved. I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting (I now see the great irony of the title of this One-Shot...that had not been planned...I wrote it before Christmas...), but it has taken 5 days to get back into my account, unfortunately this is the only update I can do before I manage to get my laptop fixed, and I don't know how long that will be - all my stories are trapped on my laptop :'( I don't even have the original summary of this...I've had to just make up a new one._**

**_I'll post a similar message to this on my other 3 stories that are being updated, because I literally can't do anything else until I fix my laptop._**

**_Sketcher1994_**


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